Innovation in trucking doesn't always mean big investments in the newest technology. Sometimes it comes from simply asking: Is there a better way to do this?

Heavy Duty Trucking's 2026 Truck Fleet Innovator finalists have challenged conventional thinking in a variety of ways.

Some have introduced artificial intelligence into fleet operations. Others have embraced battery-electric trucks, reimagined hiring practices, improved safety through data and coaching, or found practical ways to eliminate everyday frustrations for drivers and employees.

The nine finalists represent a wide range of fleet sizes, business models, and roles within the industry. Some work for long-established carriers. Others are helping build entirely new business models.

What they have in common is a willingness to try new ideas, learn from the results, and share those lessons with the industry.

HDT's Truck Fleet Innovator program recognizes fleet professionals who aren't satisfied with the status quo. They're moving their fleets, and trucking, forward with their leadership, creativity, and a culture of continuous improvement.

The winners of the Truck Fleet Innovators award will be recognized during Heavy Duty Trucking Exchange, Sept. 23-25 in Scottsdale, Arizona, where they'll participate in a panel discussion about innovation in trucking.

And they will be featured in the August issue of Heavy Duty Trucking magazine.

The 2026 finalists are:

Jennie Abarca

Founder and CEO, King Fio Trucking, Long Beach, California

Seven years ago, Jennie Abarca was running King Fio Trucking herself while raising a young family. Today, the drayage fleet operates around 30 trucks, including 11 battery-electric tractors, with an order of Tesla Semi trucks on the way.

She has shown that innovation isn't just for large fleets with deep pockets. Smaller carriers can help lead change, too.

Abarca has become one of trucking's most visible advocates for electric trucks and is a frequent industry speaker. She's willing to talk honestly about what's working, what isn't, and what other fleets can learn from her experience.

Deen Albert

Vice President of Operations, Grand Island Express, Grand Island, Nebraska

When Grand Island Express decided to bring artificial intelligence into dispatch, Deen Albert knew the technology would only succeed if employees trusted it. The company spent months preparing dispatchers and drivers for the change before flipping the switch.

The payoff was higher productivity and more time for employees to focus on customers and drivers instead of routine tasks. Albert sees AI as a tool that helps people make better decisions, not one that replaces them.

DeShon Brown

Head of Safety and Compliance, Spur Freight Services, Austin, Texas

DeShon Brown grew up in a transportation family, learned to drive from his uncles, and eventually found his calling in safety.

Today, he encourages fleets to look beyond CSA scores and focus on the warning signs that appear long before a violation or crash.

At Spur Freight, that philosophy has helped improve vehicle maintenance scores, strengthen driver coaching, and build closer relationships between drivers, dispatchers, and managers.

Adam Buttgenbach

Global Procurement Director of Fleet Transformation, PepsiCo, Dallas, Texas

Adam Buttgenbach's trucking career started behind the wheel. He earned his CDL at 18, drove trucks through college, and eventually found himself helping guide one of North America's largest private fleets through the adoption of electric vehicles and other emerging technologies.

His approach is grounded in experience: understand how the trucks are actually used, match the technology to the job, and don't confuse being first with being successful.

Editor's note: After this year's finalists were selected, Buttgenbach joined YMX Logistics as vice president of fleet transformation.

Nicky Cupp

Director of Continuous Improvement, Fraley & Schilling, Rushville, Indiana

Spend a few minutes around Fraley & Schilling's operations department with Nicky Cupp and she'll probably notice something everyone else has learned to live with. A driver frustrated by paperwork. A dispatcher repeating the same task every day.

Those everyday annoyances often become her next project. That mindset has led to a custom driver app that simplifies dispatch, messaging, paperwork, compliance, and dozens of other tasks while making life easier for drivers and office staff alike.

Lance Evans

Director of Safety, K&B Transportation, South Sioux City, Nebraska

Before joining K&B Transportation, Lance Evans spent 22 years in commercial vehicle enforcement with the Iowa State Patrol. Today, drivers call him with questions about regulations instead of worrying they're in trouble.

Evans has helped the fleet adopt technologies ranging from AI-powered cameras to dynamic speed management, but he says the technology is only effective if drivers understand it's there to coach them—not simply catch them making mistakes.

Charles Tarbutton

President, B-H Transfer, Sandersville, Georgia

Charles Tarbutton came to trucking after nearly three decades in the railroad business, bringing with him plenty of questions about why companies hire, manage, and develop people the way they do.

At B-H Transfer, he's championed a different approach to hiring that focuses on whether someone's natural strengths fit the job. The result has been lower turnover, stronger teams, and a culture that encourages employees to keep learning and improving.

John "JV" Verdon

Co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Nevoya, Perris, California

John "J.V." Verdon had a front-row seat to trucking's technology revolution while working at Motive and Waymo. Instead of waiting for the industry to change, he helped launch Nevoya, a trucking company built from the ground up around battery-electric trucks, AI, and purpose-built software.

His goal isn't simply to prove electric trucks can move freight. It's to show they can deliver the kind of service and efficiency that wins customers.

Matt Yearling

CEO, YMX Logistics, Kenosha, Wisconsin

Most fleets spend plenty of time thinking about what happens on the highway. Matt Yearling is focused on everything that happens before a truck gets there.

With a background in technology and supply chain operations, he has built YMX Logistics around improving yard operations through data, AI, electric yard tractors, and specialized logistics services. His belief is that one of trucking's biggest opportunities isn't on the road; it's inside the gate.